


The Ghost That Never Was

by iftheskyisthelimit



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Humor, Immortality, Liam Dunbar is a Little Shit, Liam Dunbar is immortal, M/M, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug, Werewolf Theo Raeken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-25 10:35:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15638988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iftheskyisthelimit/pseuds/iftheskyisthelimit
Summary: Theo is the werewolf son of the new police chief, he’s only just moved to town with his family after they had to leave the last town thanks to his… er… troubles, and he doesn’t know anyone there yet… Liam has been alive for around 215 years… 215 years of watching everyone he knows die or leaving before they could figure out his secret… He decides to have a little fun by screwing with the stranger who just knocked him down and buried him… He didn’t bank on falling for the stranger though…(Taken from a prompt on Thiam Prompt Archive on tumblr - see inside for the original prompt)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this prompt and couldn't help myself from writing it, here it is with full credits:
> 
> Theo thinks he’s accidentally killed a stranger with his car. He panics and decides to bury the body in the woods. Unbeknownst to him, Liam is actually immortal and decides to fuck with Theo by pretending to be a ghost, following him everywhere he goes. Only maybe Liam kinda falls for him along the way. 
> 
> from: Thiam Prompt Archive on tumblr (https://thiampromptarchive.tumblr.com/) 
> 
>  
> 
> This is just a small taster chapter to introduce the story, more to come very soon!

 

**25 July 2017**

Liam is half walking half staggering along the road after the barn party he’d been dragged to, okay, so maybe Scott was right and he did enjoy himself once he got there… He’s tried to keep his distance, but he finds Beacon Hills and its people growing on him. This is the first town that’s felt like home in a long time after all… The immortality thing had taken some getting used to, but the fact that he can pretty much drink as much alcohol as he wants and he’ll still wake up the next day is something he’s been thankful for ever since his parents died. 

He’s startled from his thoughts when he sees headlights gaining on him far too quickly, before he can jump out of the way the car hits him and he’s thrown to the ground, the full weight of the car goes over his torso and he feels the back tire impact his head as the car comes to a screeching halt. He knows this game, he’s had to play dead more often than he’d like to in the past years, he focuses on keeping his eyes closed and himself still as he hears the car door open and the shuddering breath of “Fuck…” from his attacker.

Theo holds onto the door of his truck to keep himself upright as he looks back at the body lying on the road. He has to look away as his heart feels like it’s gonna beat out of his chest he sighs a second “Fuck…” as his mind races _‘fuck not again… I can’t let them down again… we’ve only just moved here… he’ll kill me if he finds out… I can’t do this again… fuck.’_ He takes a deep breath, and he’s moving towards the back of the truck, before he knows it he has a shovel in his hand. The next thing he knows he’s digging a hole in the middle of the field. 

He comes back to reality again when he’s standing back over the body in the middle of the road, he tries not to look at the bloodied face as he wraps his hands under the arms and starts to pull it up the small slope to the hole he’s dug. He knows the person won’t hear him, but he needs to explain to them “I’m sorry… I… I just moved here and I… I can’t let anyone know what happened…” He knew going to that damn party was a bad idea, he should have never let Tara talk him into going with her.

Liam keeps himself perfectly still and his muscles lax as he fights to keep the smirk from his face at his attackers words. Okay, so he can’t run the risk of anyone finding out what he actually is… but the fact that this fucker thinks that they can just bury away the evidence like this is a joke, and so Liam decides he’s gonna make them regret this decision… and have a little fun in the process as he feels the dirt fall on top of him, eventually covering him up. 

 

**26 July 2017**

Theo jerks awake to the sound of pounding on his bedroom door “Theo!” his dad calls through the door. 

He scrubs his hand over his face as he tries to fight through the haze, the pounding starts again, forcing him to sit up and reply “Yeah… I’m awake.”

“Good. You decent? Cause I’m coming in” his dad states as he opens the door and walks in. Theo can feel the silent judgement as he sits on his bed in his boxers, head held in his hands. His dad, by comparison is dressed in his suit and tie, and looks him up and down before asking “What the hell happened to you? You look like you were the one hit by your damn truck.”

Something jars in the back of Theos mind as he looks up quickly asking his dad “What?”

“Your truck… in the driveway with the front bashed. What happened?” his dad grills him. ‘ _Fuck’_ he thinks as the memories from last night come flooding back. He’s brought back to the present halfway through his dads speech “…I hope this isn’t a repeat of last time.Your mom and I both start our new jobs today…”

He interrupts his dad by hastily answering “I hit a deer… it uh.. it came out of no where.” His dad looks like he half believes his answer so he hangs his head and sighs as he adds “I’ll take the car to the garage later and ask about getting it fixed.”

Liam is hiding in the bathroom and overhears the entire conversation, and he thinks to himself _‘A deer? Yeah you’re gonna pay…’_ while he’s also wondering about what the ‘last time’ was that this boys dad had mentioned. 

“Okay son… I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I guess it’s first day nerves…” his dad says, before adding “Well, I gotta go, you’ll be home for dinner?” 

“Yeah I should be” Theo replies as he stands up and walks past his dad towards the bathroom, he can’t stomach anymore conversation right now.

He closes the bathroom door to his dads sighed “Ok see you later son…” 

He just about makes it to the sink before he grabs the edge with both hands, and leaning over he empties his stomach into the sink. He lets the panic and tears come now that he’s alone, running the cold water to wash his face. He stands back up to look in the mirror and jumps as he screams “FUCK!” at the reflection of the man he killed last night staring at him from behind him.

“Not a deer by the way…” Liam smiles through the light words. He’s really gonna have fun with this one.

He can’t help but laugh inside at the “Who-who… h-how the… what?” that boy who he now knows is called Theo stutters out as he turns and almost jumps into the sink to face him.

Liam steps forward and rolls his eyes as he sighs lightly before saying more slowly “Not…. a…. deer…” and then asking in an amused tone “Did you get that?” The boy only nods with his mouth open so Liam adds “Ouch by the way!”

“H-how are you here? What’s happening? I thought I killed you… I am so sorry…” Theo questions him, the shocked expression still on his face, and Liam is surprised the boy isn’t asking him why he’s here or how he found him.

Still, Liam decides to run with it “You did…” the boy looks confused and Liam continues “You did kill me.” The boy looks like he’s about to spiral again, so Liam cuts him off “Anyways… you did kill me and now I’m here so….” and he shrugs.

Theo rubs his hands over his face as he says “I’m talking to ghost… I must still be high… this can’t be real…” before looking through his fingers at Liam.

Liam shakes his head “Nope… not high. And I’m real.” He decides to go for some dramatic effect and reaches for the shower gel on the shelf beside him, tipping it off and onto the ground and gesturing towards himself “See… real?”

“How is this possible?” Theo asks as he leans back against the sink.

Liam chuckles and shrugs as he casually says “Fucked if I know.” Before deciding to explain “I guess it’s some kind of penance thing for you. Sad part is I’m stuck here with you as well now till you figure out how to put things right.” Theo ducks his head in shame and Liam think he’s really gonna enjoy this…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!! Thank you SO much to everyone who liked / gave kudos / commented / reblogged this... I genuinely didn't expect that so many people would have liked what I'd done with the prompt!
> 
> This is another slightly shorter chapter which picks up after a days time jump. Next chapters preview will be posted at the end notes!

**28 July 2017**

 

Liam sneaks back into Theos bedroom through the open window, he snorts a little laugh at the fact that the idiot is still actually buying the request he made on the first night of _“leave the window open in case I can be freed…”_ as he takes in the boy sleeping on the bed. He’s glad in a way that he doesn’t need to sleep anymore because it lets him take some night patrols in the town, and just now it’s also serving as another way he can mess with this guy. He’s enjoyed the last few days hamming up the guilt factor with Theo by day and patrolling at night, he also finds himself a little more intrigued by the boy too, and by the conversations he’s heard in the house. 

It’s only 6am, and he can tell Theo is sound asleep, so he decides to explore the house a little, and that while he’s doing it he’ll have a little fun at Theos expense before he wakes him up. After he’s listened and made sure that the household is still asleep, he silently sneaks out of the room and down the stairs. He takes in the family photos in the hallway, seeing the family of four smiling happily, and in some there’s another boy with the family. He makes his way into the sitting room, turning on a lamp in the corner and the tv, which he mutes. He also takes the remote and sneaks back up the stairs, making sure to tilt one of the photos on the stair wall just enough that it’d be noticeable. He quietly goes into the main bathroom in the hallway and turns that light on too. He decides thats probably just enough to start with. Once he’s back in Theos bedroom, he turns on the lamp on the bedside table too, okay so he can’t help himself, then he puts the remote on the desk. It’s not much, he knows, but he’s starting small and working his way up until he drives this boy insane, or he has the family booking him a trip to Eichen House…

\- - -  

Theo wakes with a start as he exclaims “Jesus!” at the noise of the book falling on the floor, rubbing his eyes against the light streaming through the window, he was sure he’d closed the blind last night. Sitting up he sees Liam standing beside the desk with this back to him.

“Pfft he’s not real…” Liam says as he turns round to face him “Anyways, wake up, I’m getting bored just sitting here watching you sleep again.”

“Can’t you just leave me alone?” He asks as he lies back down on the bed and pulls the covers back up. He looks at the bedside clock and adds in as another question “It’s only 7am?”

Liam shakes his head and shrugs carelessly “Nope. I told you yesterday we’re stuck with each other till you figure out how to put things right.”

“I don’t…” Theo starts to say, but he really needs this ghost to be gone before his parents or Tara catch on that he’s talking alone in his room and think the worst again, so instead he levels Liam with a glare and asks “how?” 

Liam has a little internal chuckle to himself before he shakes his head and explains “Told you yesterday, I don’t know… that’s on you to figure it out.” When Theo goes to open his mouth to reply Liam decides to cut him off “You think I’m any happier about it being stuck here in strange place with a complete stranger? I should be at home with my family right now, but you changed that…”

Theo practically throws the covers off and stands up, angrily whispering “I told you it was a fucking accident!”

Liam returns the glare Theo had given him as he counters “So it was a fucking accident that you buried me too?” He smirks as Theos mouth falls open and finishes with “Yeah, thought so.”

They’re interrupted by the door handle moving and Theos mom calling “Theo? Are you awake?” As Theo turns to the door Liam uses his speed and hides behind the cupboard door. The door opens and she looks her son up and down, Theo can sense the judgement as she takes in his appearance. “Rough night?” she questions.

“Yeah I didn’t get a good sleep” he replies, it’s technically not a lie, he did get a rough awakening. 

“How many times have we told you about switching off the lights and tv before you go to bed honey?” she asks, and Theo hasn’t a clue what his mom is talking about. He was in his room before they went to bed last night, he’d been forced to when he kept seeing Liam out the side of his eye lifting up his moms vase and lifting it over his head, threatening to throw it at his family.

“Mom I wasn’t the last one downstairs last night. Did you ask Tara?” he replies.

“Yeah your father did before they left and she said she wasn’t, and it wasn’t us, which only leaves…” she trails off as she looks behind him. He shakes his head again and reaches behind him and turns off the lamp, grabbing one of the remotes from his bedside table, holding it up to show him. “Want to try that again?” She asks as she steps back to face him.

“I…” he starts, but he really has no explanation for how the remote ended up in his room, other than the one which is the truth, but he knows she won’t believe that, or she’ll accuse him of going back to his old behaviour. 

“Are you having it tough again?” his mom asks as she looks at him with half sympathy half disappointment. “Because if you are we can…”

Well… she did anyway. “Mom!” He cuts her off he lifts his hand up to her arm. He knows what _‘having it tough’_ is code for, and he can’t have this conversation right now, it’s too damn early, and he has a damn ghost in his closet… quite literally. “It’s nothing like that. I guess I was maybe really tired and lifted it up thinking it was my phone or something by accident. Sorry.”

She laughs lightly, instantly diffusing the growing tension in the room and lifts her hand to her sons cheek before dropping it again. “It’s okay, just own up to it next time son…” He nods and rolls his eyes and she follows up by asking almost all in one breath “How are you doing anyway? We’ve barely had a chance to catch up since we moved in? You’ve been hiding in your rooms since the party… Have you met any friends?”

Theo answers her points one by one “I’m doing ok. I know but we will over the weekend yeah? Yeah I’ve just been thinking a little bit… And no… I went to the party the other night but I didn’t really speak to anyone.”

From the closet Liam stifles the sarcastic laugh at the blatant lie and he cant resist stomping the floor to see what excuse Theo will make for the noise.

“What was that?” she asks as she turns to the closet.

_‘Shit’_ Theo thinks as he quickly says “Must be my guitar falling over, I must not have sit it up right when I put it away.”

She nods, accepting the explanation “Ok… yeah we’ll get a catch up over the weekend” she turns to walk out of the room and turns her head back before saying “And Theo… try to make some friends, at least before school starts?” He nods and she smiles and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Liam waits until he hears her leave the house and her car leave the driveway before he steps out of the closet and tells Theo “It’s not nice to lie to your parents you know…”

Theo slumps to sit on his bed as he looks up at Liam and replies “What was I supposed to say? Oh mom it’s just Liam the not so friendly ghost?” Liam shrugs and Theo continues “Yeah well it wouldn’t be the first time… Probably won’t be the last.” He nods his head to the beside table and looks back at Liam before saying “Nice touch by the way… but yeah, you can’t do that.”

“I think you’ll find I can probably do whatever the hell I want. You’re not in any position to tell me what I can and can’t do” Liam retorts. At the deflated look that crosses Theos face, he finds himself intrigued and he asks “Why?”

“Why what?” Theo asks. It doesn’t feel any easier talking to a ghost. 

Liam rolls his eyes “Why can’t I do that?” 

“You just…” Theo trails off before he sighs, he doesn’t want to explain it to someone else… again… He settles for saying “There’s just a lot of stuff happened, and stuff like this makes my parents think the worst.”

Liam makes a note to dig deeper on this topic, but it’s clear he’s not getting any more on it just now… “What are we doing today?” he asks, because as much as he finds himself becoming more curious at the kids story before he moved to Beacon Hills, he’s also determined that no-one gets to kill someone and just cover up the evidence in a field and live their life like it never happened… so yeah, he’s going to be a pain in this kids ass for the next few weeks if he has his own way.

“We?” Theo questions him.

“Yeah… We. You’re stuck with me remember?” He stops himself before he automatically adds ‘kid’ to the end of that sentence. 

Theo audibly groans and lies back down, pulling the cover up over his head as he says “Nothing. We’re doing nothing. I’m going back to sleep. Maybe you can find some more chaos to cause while I’m sleeping.” As soon as he stops speaking he’s asleep again, the events of the last few days catching up with him.

Liam steps out of the bedroom and takes Theos last words to him as a personal challenge “You want chaos? Okay…” as he walks into the kitchen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... hopefully you all liked that one too. As always, let me know your thoughts if you liked it, if you were indifferent, or even if you didn't... it really does help either way :)
> 
> It was a slightly shorter chapter as I've been on a break for a few days, but I really wanted to get something posted for you all. 
> 
> Next (longer) chapters preview:  
> \- Find out what Liam did in regards to Theos words  
> \- Liam finds out that Theo is a werewolf without a pack  
> \- Find out a little bit more about both Liam and Theos backstories (both are pretty interesting)

**Author's Note:**

> As I said above, it's really just a small chapter to introduce the story etc... hopefully you guys like it! Please let me know your thoughts whether good/bad or indifferent!
> 
> It was originally going to be a one chapter story, but there was too much to explore here... I'll hopefully have another (longer) update over the weekend too :)


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